Cathode rod



J. NE LSON CATHODE ROD Filed Aug. 8, 1934 March 5, 1935. v

ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES CATHODE ROD John Nelson, Chicago, Ill.- Application August 8, 1934, Serial No. 739,036

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a rod and more especially to a cathode rod for use in electric plating machines.

The present cathode rod in common use is made of a plain brass tubing which necessitates complete wrapping of the wire attached to the work to be plated. In addition to the large amount of wire that this wrapping represents annually, the time for wrapping and unwrapping represents considerable labor. Furthermore, dripping from the work when being removed from the tank causes corrosion which necessitates cleaning of this tubing at least once each day. Also, work to be plated that is light in weight often does not exert enoughtension upon the wire to maintain electrical contact between the oathode rod and such wire. Then, of course, the work does not plate. This condition cannot be determined until the tank containing the plating bath has been running for some time.

It is the aim of the present invention to eliminate all of the above disadvantages. The cathode rod in its construction never requires cleaning, as contact surfaces are not exposed to dripping from the work and a positive contact is assured on plating light pieces thereof.

Another aim of the present invention is the provision of a cathode rod of this character, wherein the wire connected with the work can be readily and easily applied to the cathode rod with dispatch without requiring the wrapping of the wire about the rod and when it is desired to remove the work from the plating bath it is only necessary to lift the piece of work from the tank by the wire above the solution constituting the bath, this requiring minimum effort on the part of the user of the plating machine.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cathode rod of this character which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and effective in its purpose, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail. illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a plating tank showing the cathode rod constructed in accordance with the invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view through the cathode rod.

Figure 3 is an exploded fragmentary vertical 5 sectional view through the cathode rod.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates generally a portion of a tank used for plating, the vertical walls thereof being indicated at 5, and bridging this tank, which contains a 15 plating bath B, is a cathode rod embodying the present invention and hereinafter fully described.

The cathode rod comprises a tubular body 6, preferably made from special brass tubing and having formed in its lowermost portion a substantially U-shaped longitudinally extending channel 7, while at intervals at the uppermost portion of said tubular body 6 are provided clearances 8 for pairs of pins 9, these being vertically disposed and at their lower ends engaging in the 2 channel 7, while passed through the pins is a guide bar 10, it having each end thereof seated in an end head 11 fitted in the said body 6. This head 11 closes the end of the body interfitted therewith. 30

Engaged about the guide bar 10 at opposite sides of each pair of pins 9 are the coiled tensioning springs 12, these acting upon the pairs of pins 9 to force the same together for clamping purposes. 35

Adapted to be removably engaged between the pairs of pins 9 is an article carrying wire 13 which at its lower end is designed for connection with an article to be plated when submerged in the plating bath B in the tank A. The wire 13, at its upper end, is passed between a pair of the pins 9, and the action of the springs 12 thereon will clamp this upper end of the wire, the said end being turned abruptly or sharply about one. edge of one of the pins 9 of the pair and thus the said wire will be removably suspended, as is clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

Passed through the tubular body 6 and threaded in an end head 11 is a binding screw 14 for making fast in this head an electric current wire 15 and the electric current being established be tween the wire 13 and the wire 15 through the cathode rod constituting the present invention.

It is preferable to have the exterior surface of the body 6 coated with suitable non-corrosive substance to protect the material from which the said body is made.

It should be apparent that the wire 13 can be readily detached and the article to be plated conveniently removed thereby from the plating bath B within the tank A and that the cathode rod is not subjected to drippings from the work on the removal thereof from the bath B. A positive electrical contact is assured between the wire 13 and the cathode'rod.

What is claimedis:

1. A cathode rod of the kind described comprising a tubular body having a channel long-itudinally disposed in its lowermost portion, said body having openings at its uppermost portion, these being spaced from each other, pairs of pins arranged in said openings and engaged in the channel in said body, means for yieldably forcing the pairs of pins together, a wire removably engaged between the pairs of pins, and means for attaching a current wire to the body.

2. A cathode rod of the kind described comprising a tubular body having a channel longitudinally disposed in its lowermost portion, said body having openings at its uppermost portion, these being spaced from each other, pairs of pins arranged in said openings and engaged in the channel in said body, tensioning springs acting upon the pairs of pins to maintain the same in clamping relation to each other, a wire removably engaged between the pairs of pins, and means for attaching a current wire to the body.

JOHN NELSON. 

